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A sharing of Christian video sermons delivered globally by Archbishop Foley Beach
Episodes
Saturday Nov 01, 2025
Saturday Nov 01, 2025
The Interior Life – Maintenance of the Inner Man -- Part 8: The Body; Giving Life to the Spirit Soul
MESSAGE SUMMARY: It is important to understand the Spirit in our inner beings. The Spirit is that part of us which enables us to commune with the Lord – it is that part of us in which the Holy Spirit indwells when we become a Christian and through which God speaks to us. Without Jesus, we are not fully alive because, without Jesus one has a dead Spirit.
The Spirit, body and soul are all interconnected; and neglecting one adversely effects the other two. The Psalmist defines this interconnection in Psalms 63:1: “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.". If our bodies are out of sorts, our Spirits and Souls can be adversely impacted. To optimize the effect of our bodies on our Souls and Spirits, we need to consider: 1) an eating plan that helps us live; 2) exercise so that we can be all that we can be for the Lord; 3) adequate sleep and rest; and 4) righteousness.
Paul tells about God’s perspective of our bodies in 1 Corinthians 6:19 20 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.". If we want to maintain our interior life, we must maintain our earth suits; this body that God has given us.
Don’t ignore the power of prayer to help in keeping our body, Soul, and Spirit interconnected and in positive rhythm. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24: “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it."
TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, Sabbath rest is truly an unbelievable gift! Thank you that there is nothing I can do to earn your love; it comes without any strings attached. As I close my eyes for these few minutes before you, all I can say is, thank you! In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 133). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Scripture Reference (ESV): Psalms 104:14; Psalms 145:15-16; 1 Corinthians 9:26; Psalms 127:2; Proverbs 20:13; Ecclesiastes 5:12; Romans 7:22-25; Proverbs 4:21; Proverbs 14:30; 1 Corinthians 6:13-20. (Click the blue below to read the full Bible text for these scripture references in BOLD.).
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Jesus Followers Should Fear, Respect, and Praise God’s Power, Sovereignty, and Holiness; but in Life’s Trials They Should “fear not for I {Jesus} am with you always””: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Saturday Oct 25, 2025
Saturday Oct 25, 2025
The Interior Life – Maintenance of the Inner Man -- Part 7: A Listening Spirit
MESSAGE SUMMARY: Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, describes the characteristics of the inner life and the maintenance of the inner man: “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.". The Spirit is that part of us that communes with the Lord when we become a Christian. Without Jesus, we are not fully alive because, without Jesus one has a dead Spirit. It is by Grace that we are saved and then our faith in Jesus awakens our Spirit. We listen to and for the Lord with the Holy Spirit. God desires to speak to His people. God wants to speak to us and tell us about things in our lives like what His will is for us. However, we live in a noisy world; therefore, listening to and for the Lord is difficult.
All the noise in the world and in our lives, has conditioned our Spirit to be dulled in listening to and for the Lord. Our Spirit is constantly under bombardment and distraction. As God spoke in Psalms 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”. With the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as Christians, God will speak to us in a variety of ways: 1) through the still small voice; 2) as we study the Bible – the Lord’s voice is both His spoken Word and in His written Word; 3) in our prayer, which is both talking and listening to God; 4) through teachings and sermons; 5) through our Christian friends; 6) through music; and 7) through the desires of our hearts, as the Psalmist tell us in Psalms 37:4: “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.". However, be careful trusting the word from yourself if you are not in the Holy Spirit.
We need to be to listen to and for the Lord. These are exercises, in our lives, that we can practice to tune our Listening Spirit to the Lord: 1) build times of silence in our lives; 2) practice solitude – being quit and alone with the Lord; 3) read and study His Word; 4) pray in intercessory prayer – talk to God in the behalf of others; 5) keep a prayer journal; and 6) obey God – when God speaks to us, He expects us to obey, as we find in Jeremiah 7:23: “But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’". If we don’t obey the Lord, He will quit speaking to us: “What’s the point?”.
TODAY’S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! (Luke 11:13).
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Jeremiah 33:3; John10:27; 1 Kings 19:11; Genesis 22:18. (Click the blue below to read the full Bible text for these scripture references in BOLD.).
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “At Jesus’ Crucifixion and Death, the “Temple Veil” Was Torn; After Jesus Easter Resurrection, You Now Pray Directly with God”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Saturday Oct 18, 2025
Saturday Oct 18, 2025
The Interior Life – Maintenance of the Inner Man -- Part 6: The Spirit
MESSAGE SUMMARY: Introduction from Part 4 – We must take responsibility for our own emotions and stop blaming others. Emotions are the color of our inner life, but we must control our emotions, or our emotions will control us. Constantly remember God’s presence is with us. What would happen if we really lived our lives knowing that God is always with us?
Today’s Message – It is important to understand the Spirit in our inner beings. The Spirit is that part of us which enables us to commune with the Lord – it is that part of us in which the Holy Spirit indwells when we become a Christian and through which God speaks to us. Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, describes the characteristics of the inner life and the maintenance of the inner man: “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.". Without Jesus, we are not fully alive because, without Jesus one has a dead Spirit.
It is by Grace that we are saved and that our faith in Jesus awakens our Spirit. In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus tells us that we are to assist in awakening the Spirit in others – discipleship. We can nurture our Spirit through: 1) daily Bible reading; 2) daily prayer – talking to and listening to God; 3) Worship, both corporate and individual; 4) partaking of Holy Communion; 5) abiding, John 15:4 – “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.”; 6) obeying God; 7) fellowship with like-minded believers; and 8) witnessing and sharing Jesus with others.
TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, Sabbath rest is truly an unbelievable gift! Thank you that there is nothing I can do to earn your love; it comes without any strings attached. As I close my eyes for these few minutes before you, all I can say is, thank you! In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 133). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! Luke 11:13
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 2:1-10; John 5:24; 1 Peter 1:3. (Click the blue below to read the full Bible text for these scripture references in BOLD.).
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “For Jesus Followers, Fasting, with Food, Will Symbolize a Victory Over Oneself and Solidify a Personal Relationship with God”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Friday Feb 17, 2023
Friday Feb 17, 2023
The Interior Life – Maintenance of the Inner Man -- Part 4: Our Emotional Being
MESSAGE SUMMARY: If we maintain our interior life, we can be His vessels of light in the world. We must awaken and maintain our inner lives as vigorously as we maintain our public lives – to take care of our souls and spirits as much as we take care of our bodies. Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, describes the characteristics of the inner life and the maintenance of the inner man: “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
We are emotional beings, and we are made in the likeness of God – God is emotional; He loves, but He gets angry at sin. However, we don’t all have the same emotional makeup. Emotions are neither good nor bad, but how emotions are expressed impact others positively or negatively. Also, when we wrongly express our emotions, we often pay the price with health problems. Therefore, when we sin with our emotions, we interfere with our relationship with God.
Some suggestions for positively dealing with our emotions include: 1) Commit to express feelings in a Godly manner; 2) Nail past wounds and hurts to the Cross with Jesus; 3) Ask God for inner healing; 4) Understand generational patterns; 5) Take responsibility for personal emotions – stop blaming others; 6) Intentionally express emotions with appropriate words – emotions come wholly from within; and 7) Constantly remember God’s presence is with us. What would happen if we really lived our lives knowing that God is always with us?
TODAY’S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM RIGHTEOUS IN GOD’S EYES. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Matthew 21:12-13; Proverbs 14:29-30; Ephesians 4:31-32; Galatians 2:20.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE SEARCH: www.AWFTL.org/bible-search/
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “For a Jesus Follower in Difficult Circumstances, God: “is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster””: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Thursday Feb 09, 2023
Thursday Feb 09, 2023
The Interior Life – Maintenance of the Inner Man -- Part 3: The Will
MESSAGE SUMMARY: Too many of us have bought into the hustle and bustle demanded by our lifestyles of today; therefore, we have little time, today, for thinking and praying. In the meantime, life is sailing by; and the inner person is neglected. We must awaken and maintain our inner lives as vigorously as we maintain our public lives – to take care of our souls and spirits as much as we take care of our bodies. Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, describes the characteristics of the inner life and the maintenance of the inner man: “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
The will, in our inner life, is our God-given ability to choose. Often, we run into problems by not controlling our will – we go with the flow. Many of us have lost control of the will in our lives, and we yield control to the flesh. Our choices are stealing our lives away, and we don’t even realize that we have a choice. We must use our will to choose properly. We need to develop our “willpower” – our control over our choices by -- choosing a task; creating a plan; and following the plan. We need to develop the power for gaining control over our will and directing our will toward a spirit-filled life in Jesus. Each of our lives is to be driven by the Holly Spirit through our inner person, thereby, yielding our lives to God’s will. The Holy Spirit enables us to do God’s will in our lives.
Have you, like the people in Joshua 24, chosen (i.e. will) to serve the Lord?
TODAY’S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM FORGIVEN. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Galatians 2:20; Galatians 5:16; Psalms 40:8; Joshua 24:14-24.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE SEARCH: www.AWFTL.org/bible-search/
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Jesus Followers Are Given the Incredible Gift of the Holy Spirit - “your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way’””: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Friday Feb 03, 2023
Friday Feb 03, 2023
The Interior Life – Maintenance of the Inner Man -- Part 2: The Mind of the Soul
Message Summary: Many modern Christian want to follow God, but their interior lives are being side tracked by the world and/or their activities in their churches. Our interior lives usually don’t call for our attention and help until it’s too late. Therefore, we are missing out on the lives God calls us to live. If we don’t maintain our inner life, then we will not have the inner reserves to handle life traumas that will surely come. Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, describes the characteristics of the inner and the maintenance of the inner man: “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.". Paul describes us as being comprised of body, soul, and spirit. Our inner man is all that relates to our soul and spirit. The interior life is critical for the abundant life.
The soul, in the interior life, includes our minds, which many of us are wasting. To paraphrase Proverbs, as we think, so we are. God wants us to have the mind of Christ – to think like Jesus does. We need to use our mind to think and act in a manner that reflects the character of Jesus.
If our outer life is what God means for it to be, then we must get our inner lives in order. The key to inner life order is what we do or not do with our minds.
TODAY’S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Philippians 4:8; Philippians 2:5-7; Romans 12:2.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE SEARCH: www.AWFTL.org/bible-search/
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Jesus Followers Are the Enemy’s {devil’s} Target to Mess You Up and To Destroy Your Relationship with God”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Friday Jan 27, 2023
Friday Jan 27, 2023
The Interior Life – Part 1: Maintenance of the Inner Man
MESSAGE SUMMARY: Introductory Message from Sermon Series “It’s About Time – Before you put anything on your business calendar, sit down with your family calendar and enter all of your family activities and interactions. Therefore, tour can effectively manage your total life not just your business life. Also, constantly give thanks to God.
Today’s Message – Examples of a modern Christians who wants to follow God but whose interior lives are being side tracked by the world and/or their activities in their churches. Our interior lives usually don’t call for our attention and help until it’s too late, However, if our interior life is not maintained, it will come crashing down with catastrophic consequences. To this end, many of us modern Christians are failing to maintain our interior life, which can become hollow and without effective roots.
In Psalms 1:3, the effective interior life is described: “He {interior life} is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”. What is the inner man? Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, describes the characteristics of the inner man: “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.". Paul describes us as being comprised of body, soul, and spirit. Our inner man is all that relates to our soul and spirit. The interior life is critical for the abundant life.
In Luke 17:20-21, Jesus tells us that His Kingdom is within us: “Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, ‘The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.’”. In maintaining our inner lives, we want to maintain the soul and feed the spirit. What are we doing to intentionally nourish our inner self?
TODAY’S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM RIGHTEOUS IN GOD’S EYES. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): John 7:38; Ephesians 3:16; 1 Peter 3:3; Mark 7:21; Luke 17:20-21
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE SEARCH: www.AWFTL.org/bible-search/
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Letting God Be Lord Over Your Finances, which Are His but He Entrusted to You, Will Liberate Your Life!”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Saturday May 25, 2019
Saturday May 25, 2019
MESSAGE SUMMARY:
Where Is Your Interior Life Leading You? {The Interior Life – Emotional Maturity: Exercising the Mind – Part 4 (Christ Church; Atlanta, GA)
INTRODUCTION TO THE INTERIOR LIFE -- The Psalmist, in Psalms 1:3-4, describes a person with a fruitful Interior Life: “He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.". Our Interior Life, typically, does not call out for our attention until, usually, it is too late. Our Interior Life does not call for our attention or scream for help. However, if our Interior Life is not maintained or nurtured, our spiritual life can come crashing down.
Our Interior Life can be viewed like a savings account in a bank. Like a savings account when we make deposits, our Interior Life grows, draws interest, and becomes strong, thereby, giving us a balance that can see us through life’s tough times. However, if we are not making Interior Life deposits and our life circumstances need to draw on our “savings”, we may find that life has put us in an untenable situation; and we go spiritually bankrupt. Does the life description, provided by Jesus in John 7:37b-38, describe your life: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”?
Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, describes the characteristics of the Inner Person and the maintenance of the Inner Person: “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.". Paul describes us as being comprised of body, soul, and spirit.
Our Inner Person, or Our Inner Self, is all that relates to our soul and spirit. The Interior Life is critical for our abundant life – the part of us that is private not public; the part of us that no one sees or knows but us and God. Too often, we focus our personal care on our bodies and not our soul or Inner Person. Paul, in Ephesians 3:16-17, addresses or “inner being”: “that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,".
EXERCISING YOUR MIND AS A PART OF YOUR INTERIOR LIFE -- We need to focus, today, on a portion of our Inner Self’s soul that includes “our mind” – “the power of our mind”. What gives us the power to steer our lives in the direction that we want to go and, in a manner, that God expects of us? The mind gives our Inner Self power. Too many of us are wasting our minds – most of us are not exercising the power of our minds.
To exercise our minds, we must: 1) discipline our mind to mind – mental discipline; 2) take charge of what we let our mind dwell upon – what we think, we are; and 3) learn to think from Christ’s perspective – as a Christian, we must intentionally learn to think from God’s point of view; for example love neighbor rather than diminishing or fearing your neighbor.
To intentionally exercise your mind, you can: 1) read; 2) study; 3) memorize; and 4) meditate – reflect upon an issue.
Jesus was asked, in Luke 20:25b-28 to reveal the key to eternal life; and Jesus responded: “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? How do you read it?’ And he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.’ And he said to him, You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.’”. To position your Inner Self to think from God’s point of view, your mind must be exercised through the love of God and others.
The mind, as a Christian, is a terrible thing to be wasted by your Inner Self; therefore, you must endeavor to stop wasting your mind.
You need to develop the power for gaining control over your will and directing your mind toward a spirit-filled life in Jesus. Your life is to be driven by the Holly Spirit through your Inner Person to yield your life to God’s will. The Holy Spirit enables you to do God’s will in your life – your Interior Life’s deposit for the future.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. (John 1:12f).
Scripture Reference (ESV): Psalms 1:3-4; John 7:37-38; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Ephesians 2:1-10; John 3:1-8; Ephesians 3:16-20; 1 Peter 3:3; Mark 7:21; Proverbs 23:7; 2 Corinthians 10:5; Philippians 2:5; 1 Corinthians 2:16; Romans 12:2; Philippians 4:8; Galatians 2:20; Galatians 5:16-17 .
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE SEARCH: www.AWFTL.org/bible-search/
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Sunday May 19, 2019
Sunday May 19, 2019
MESSAGE SUMMARY:
Where Is Your Interior Life Leading You? {Nurturing The Interior Life – Exercising the Mind – Part 2] (Camp House; Chattanooga, TN)
The Psalmist, in Psalms 1:3-4, describes a person with a fruitful Interior Life: “He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.". Our Interior Life, typically, does not call out for our attention until, usually, it is too late. Our Interior Life does not call for our attention or scream for help. However, if our Interior Life is not maintained or nurtured, our spiritual life can come crashing down.
Our Interior Life can be viewed like a savings account in a bank. Like a savings account when we make deposits, our Interior Life grows, draws interest, and becomes strong, thereby, giving us a balance that can see us through life’s tough times. However, if we are not making Interior Life deposits and our life circumstances need to draw on our “savings”, we may find that life has put us in an untenable situation; and we go spiritually bankrupt. Does the life description, provided by Jesus in John 7:37b-38, describe your life: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”?
Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, describes the characteristics of the Inner Person and the maintenance of the Inner Person: “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.". Paul describes us as being comprised of body, soul, and spirit.
Our Inner Person, or Our Inner Self, is all that relates to our soul and spirit. The Interior Life is critical for our abundant life – the part of us that is private not public; the part of us that no one sees or knows but us and God. Too often, we focus our personal care on our bodies and not our soul or Inner Person. Paul, in Ephesians 3:16-17, addresses or “inner being”: “that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,".
We need to focus, today, on a portion of our Inner Self’s soul that includes “our mind” – “the power of our mind”. What gives us the power to steer our lives in the direction that we want to go and, in a manner, that God expects of us? The mind gives our Inner Self power. Too many of us are wasting our minds – most of us are not exercising the power of our minds.
To exercise our minds, we must: 1) discipline our mind to mind – mental discipline; 2) take charge of what we let our mind dwell upon – what we think, we are; and 3) learn to think from Christ’s perspective – as a Christian, we must intentionally learn to think from God’s point of view.
To intentionally exercise our mind, we can: 1) read; 2) study; 3) memorize; and 4) meditate – reflect upon an issue.
Jesus was asked, in Luke 20:25b-28, to reveal the key to eternal life; and Jesus responded: “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? How do you read it?’ And he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.’ And he said to him, You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.’”. To position our Inner Self to think from God’s point of view, our mind must be exercised through the love of God and others.
The mind, as a Christian, is a terrible thing to be wasted by our Inner Self; therefore, we must endeavor to stop wasting our minds.
We need to develop the power for gaining control over our will and directing our minds toward a spirit-filled life in Jesus. Each of our lives is to be driven by the Holly Spirit through our Inner Person to yield our lives to God’s will. The Holy Spirit enables us to do God’s will in our lives – our Interior Life’s deposit for the future.
Are you mature enough in your faith to “have the mind of Jesus”?
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM RIGHTEOUS IN GOD’S EYES. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Scripture Reference (ESV): Psalms 1:3-4; John 7:37-38; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Ephesians 2:1-10; John 3:1-8; Ephesians 3:16-20; 1 Peter 3:3; Mark 7:21; Proverbs 23:7; 2 Corinthians 10:5; Philippians 2:16; Philippians 2:5; 1 Corinthians 2:16; Romans 12:2; Philippians 4:8; Galatians 2:20; Galatians 5:16-17.
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Monday Apr 01, 2019
Monday Apr 01, 2019
The Promise of Belief (St. Thomas Anglican Church, Athens GA)
MESSAGE SUMMARY:
A primary component of Jesus teaching methodology was to ask questions. Most questions asked regarding Christianity are directly answerable. However, it is not “doubt” that constrains people from believing and following Jesus; but it is their “resistance to giving up their sins” that constrains their belief and acceptance.
Important questions were asked by Jesus in His several appearances after His Resurrection from His Crucifixion and death. In the first reference in John 20 to Jesus’ appearance to His Apostilles, the Apostille Thomas was not present. Therefore, when Thomas was told of Jesus’ appearance, Thomas said that he would not believe in Jesus’ Resurrection until he could see and feel Jesus’ wounds from the Crucifixion. Jesus, knowing Thomas’ disbelief without physical evidence of His Resurrection, asked Thomas to feel His wounds. Afterwards Jesus asked Thomas the implied question of Thomas’ “belief”, and Thomas answered with an answer that has resonated throughout the centuries: “My Lord and my God!”. Jesus went on to affirm Thomas’ belief in the face of compelling physical evidence, but Jesus acknowledged the power of the belief and faith by those of us who follow Him without physical evidence. So, for us who do not have the physical evidence of Jesus’ death and Resurrection, Paul tells us, in Romans 10:17, that: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”.
Do you believe?
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): John 20:19-30; John 11:15-16; John 14:5-7; Romans 10:17.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, because of I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Addictions. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit’s fruit of Self-Control. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f).
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